Night One
by Mrskroy
Summary: Sookie Stackhouse and Eric Northman are two strangers that live sixteen hours apart, each looking to forge their path in life. When a spur of the moment choice ends up putting them in the same place at the same time, both are unprepared for just how life-changing one night could be. A/H short story based on the Luke Bryan song of the same name. Rated M for future content.*COMPLETE*
1. Prologue

**A/N: Hello, and welcome to this new adventure! This will be a short story (3-4 chapters at the most), but it's been something that has been brewing in my mind for a bit. Many thanks to the wonderful _Asrailefay_ for being my Beta on this and for being the sounding board that I need when the characters get a mind of their own. I own nothing TB related. I hope you enjoy!**

* * *

 _ **Prologue**_

"I'm so proud of you, Sis! You did it," Jason Stackhouse said as he pulled his younger sister into a big hug, the proudness that he felt radiating off of him as he pressed a kiss to the top of her head. "Brigette is super bummed that she couldn't make it to the ceremony, but she's going to try and cut out of work early to meet us at the restaurant."

Sookie Stackhouse smiled, hugging her brother back tightly before letting go. "There's no need for Brigette to miss work," she told her brother with a huff as they made their way to his truck, waving to someone she recognized in the crowd of people they walked through. "Just like there's no need for you to be wasting your money on me and some fancy dinner. Its's not a big deal, Jase," she added as she got into the truck, tossing the items that she was holding into the backseat.

"Not a big deal?" Jason asked incredulously, throwing a look at his sister as they drove. "Not only are you the first Stackhouse to graduate from college in years, most likely ever, you got your _Masters_ , Sook! And in _psychology_!" he added, turning the truck onto a busy road. "You best believe I'm going to take you out to some fancy dinner. Hell…I had to put a deposit down when I made the reservation months ago, so you can only imagine my relief when you actually _did_ graduate," he said with a teasing grin, letting out a big laugh as his younger sister smacked his arm.

"You're such an ass, Jason Stackhouse!" Sookie replied with a laugh, resting her head against her brother's shoulder as he drove. "But seriously, a deposit? Where in the hell are you taking me? You know I'd be fine with a meal at Merlotte's," she added, rolling her eyes at the look Jason gave her.

"If Gran were still alive, she'd tan my hide for taking you to a bar for your celebratory dinner; especially one that you used to work at," Jason told Sookie, shuddering slightly at the memory of Gran reprimanding him when he was younger. "I got us reservations at that fancy place here in Shreveport…the one with the French sounding name that no one can pronounce. It opened at the end of last year, I think," he added, pulling into a busy parking lot. "And we're here!"

Sookie looked out the window at the restaurant, her heart aching slightly as she saw the name. "It's not French, Jase," she murmured as she got out of the truck, wrapping her arm around her brother's as they made their way towards the door. " _Vårlov_ ," she pronounced expertly, willing her heart and mind to halt any memories they were threatening to bombard her with. "It's Swedish," she added softly as they walked inside, moving to stand in the line that led to the hostess station.

Jason raised a brow at his sister as they slowly moved up in line, wrapping an arm around her and pulling her close. "If you know how to pronounce it so well, you want to tell me what it means?" he asked, though they made it to the hostess station before Sookie could respond. "Reservation for Stackhouse," Jason said with a smile, causing the girl behind the podium to let out a nervous giggle as she grabbed menus before leading them to their table. "Also, when did you learn to speak Swedish?"

"Spring break," Sookie said softly as she took her seat, not elaborating on if she was talking about the 'what' or 'when' that Jason was questioning. She murmured her thanks to the hostess as she took the proffered menu, raising her brow as she caught Jason staring at her with a strange look on his face. "I happened to learn a word or two in Swedish last year. Why someone decided to name their fancy restaurant after a week of debauchery, I don't quite know."

A tinkling laugh sounded behind Sookie, cutting Jason off before he could come up with some smart-mouthed reply. "Ridiculous, I know. But there's no changing the mind of a hardheaded fool. Welcome to _Vårlov_ , folks. My name is…Sookie?"

Sookie's back stiffened at the newcomer's voice, nearly fumbling her menu as she turned to look at the younger girl standing at their table. " _Pam_?! What in God's name are you doing here?" she asked in disbelief, quickly getting up to hug the equally shocked girl. They hugged each other tightly for a few moments, both at a loss for words to say as they pulled away. "I can't believe you're in Louisiana!"

"I decided to go to LSU here in Shreveport," Pam offered in explanation, blushing slightly when she saw the look of surprise on Sookie's face. "Pamela Northman," she said to Jason, offering her hand for him to shake. "I met Sookie in Miami last year. She really helped me out with some trouble I was in."

"Jason Stackhouse," Jason answered, raising a brow as he shook Pam's hand. "You seem like a nice girl and all, but I don't need to hear about the 'trouble' that my sister encountered while on spring break," he said with air quotes, causing both girls to splutter a little and Sookie to smack him upside the head. "Hey! Don't ask, don't tell, right?"

Pam rolled her eyes a little and shook her head. "And here I thought you were exaggerating when you said you had an airhead for a brother," she said, shrugging her shoulders a little when she saw the glare Jason shot her way. "So…Stackhouse, huh?" she asked, turning her attention back to Sookie.

Sookie nodded a little, her heart beating loudly in her ears. "Northman," she replied softly, finally getting the last piece to the puzzle that she'd been trying to complete for the past year. Her eyes flicked to the double doors a bit behind Pam, her breath catching in her throat as she came to a sudden realization. "What are the chances that you just happened upon this restaurant during its hiring phase?" she asked quietly, feeling all the blood drain from her face as she saw the younger girl break out into a big grin.

"I'm gonna go grab waters and give you guys some time to look over then menu," Pam replied, completely ignoring Sookie's question as she turned on her heel and practically ran towards the doors that led to the kitchen.

Jason looked between his sister and the swinging double doors, a look of concern coming to his face as he saw how pale Sookie was as she sat back down. "Everything okay? You look like you just saw a ghost or something," he said quietly, picking his menu back up to glance over it.

"Or something, indeed," Sookie replied softly, shaking her head a little as she glanced down at her own menu. Coincidences happened all the time, right?

* * *

"Move it!" Pam hissed as she nearly bowled over a busser, glaring at the young boy as he scrambled to get out of the blonde's path. Pam was nearly shaking with adrenaline by the time she made it back to the main work station, crossing her arms over her chest as she impatiently waited for the head chef to finish his current task. "What would you say if I told you I finally figured out her last name?" she blurted out, practically bouncing from foot to foot as she waited to be acknowledged.

Eric Northman sighed as he set down his knife, grabbing a towel to wipe his hands off as he looked at his younger sister. "Now's _really_ not the time for games, Pam," he murmured, rubbing a hand over his face as he heard his sister let out a sound of exasperation. "I appreciate you trying to cheer me up, but we're slammed both out there and back here. I need you to let this go and focus on your job. Take these out to 25," he said, nodding at the plates that he just finished garnishing.

Pam opened her mouth to fire back at her brother, then clamped it shut as she saw the look he gave her. " _Fine_. But 34 has an issue with their appetizers and demanded to see the chef," she informed him, shooting one last glowering look his way before grabbing the readied plates.

Eric furrowed his brow as he looked at the tickets around him. "Pam, 34 hasn't even-" he cut himself off as he heard the tell-tale sound of his sister leaving the kitchen, letting out a sigh as he tossed his towel down. "34 hasn't even put in an order yet," he grumbled to himself as he weaved through the other workers in the kitchen, pausing a moment to compose himself before shoving his way through the swinging doors. He made his way over to the table that Pam had mentioned, observing the fact that the man and woman sitting there still were nose deep in their menus. "What seems to be the problem, folks?" he asked as he came to a stop behind the woman's chair, watching as the man looked between his companion and Eric in pure confusion.

"My head waitress implied that there was some issue with…" Eric trailed off as the female shoved her seat back in a hurry to stand up, barely able to catch her as she tripped over her own feet and nearly fell. "I've got you. You're alright," he murmured, both confused and a bit concerned as the woman kept her face pressed against his chest. He stiffened slightly as a familiar scent invaded his nose, but quickly shook that thought from his mind. It was common for many women to wear the same type of perfume, right?

"I bet you say that to all the girls," Sookie whispered, a small smile coming to her face when she heard the sharp intake of breath come from above her head. When he'd spoken moments before, she had briefly wondered if she was dreaming. Hell…if she hadn't seen Pam before, she would have been dead set on the fact that everything was all in her head. "Hey there, stranger," she finally said after a few moments, pulling back to look up at the face that had haunted her thoughts and dreams for over a year.

Eric stared down at the woman in his arms, almost too afraid to blink and lose sight of her. " _Älskare_ ," he breathed out as his hands came up to frame her face, barely pausing to fully think about his actions before claiming her lips with his. "Please tell me this isn't a dream," he murmured after a few moments, forcing himself to pull back from the deep kiss they had just been engaged in.

"And here I was hoping that this _was_ all a dream," Jason piped up from his spot at the table, his expression showing that he was clearly unimpressed by the display that just occurred. He knew that his baby sister was more than adult enough to make her own decisions, but that didn't mean that he wanted to watch her suck face with some blond giant of a man in the middle of a restaurant. "Care to introduce me to your _friend_ , Sook?"

"Sorry I'm late! Wanted to change out of my scrubs first, and then traffic was a beast trying to get over here," a cheerful voice interrupted, Brigette Stackhouse swooping in to kiss her husband's cheek before turning her attentions towards her sister-in-law. "Congratulations, Sookie! I'm so-Eric? What in the hell did I miss?" she asked as she tilted her head in curiosity, a grin coming to her face as she saw Sookie's turn beet red.

Jason's jaw dropped as he looked between his wife and his sister, his face turning almost as red as Sookie's as he felt his anger level rising a little. "Clearly _I'm_ the one who's missing something here. How do _you_ know this Thor lookalike who is far too comfortable with my baby sister over there, Brigette?" he asked as he crossed his arms over his chest, trying to wrap his head around the whole situation.

Brigette shrugged as she settled into the empty seat next to her husband, choosing that moment to bury her face in Jason's discarded menu. "I'm guessing 'it's a long story and it's your sister's to tell' isn't really going to fly with you right now, Jason Stackhouse," she said after a few moments, fully aware that her husband was currently staring her down.

A loud crash from the kitchen caused Eric and Sookie to jump apart from each other, a stream of quiet curses leaving Eric's mouth as he shoved a hand through his hair in frustration. "I need to get back there and make sure my damn kitchen isn't on fire. Stay, eat. I'll be back out as soon as I can," he murmured, brushing a gentle kiss over Sookie's lips as he helped her back into her seat. "It was nice to see you again, Brigette. And Jason, it was a pleasure to meet you after hearing so much about you last year. I hope you all enjoy your meals," he added with a smile, pressing a final kiss to the top of Sookie's head before rushing back towards the doors to the kitchen.

Sookie blushed once more as she looked between her brother and sister-in-law, reaching over to smack Brigette's shoulder when she saw the shit-eating grin on her face. "So…you always said you _didn't_ want to hear about our trip to Miami, Jase," she supplied, hoping that the mere mention of the previous year's spring break trip would turn her brother off of the subject. It wasn't that she _didn't_ want to tell him. She just felt that some things were best left a secret from her sibling.

Jason let out a sigh, waving down the nearest waitress so that he could order a bottle of wine for the table. "Well, that was before Miami apparently followed you to Louisiana," he offered in reply as he leaned over to look at the menu that his wife now held. "Since it looks like we're going to be here for a while, why don't you both enlighten me and start at the beginning…"

* * *

 **Translations: Vårlov = Spring Break / Älskare = Lover**

 **A/N: Thank you so much for reading, and I hope this little bit intrigued you! My plan is to get the next (longer) chapter up within the next couple of weeks :-) Until next time!**


	2. The Beginning

**A/N: Hey there! I know it's been a super long time, and for that I am deeply sorry. Real life, as you know, takes precedence...and for lack of a better term, real life has been a bit of a bitch these past seven months. Hopefully my absence didn't drive too many of you away :-) Many thanks to _Asrailefay_ for being my constant cheerleader, both in fic and in life; this would not have been possible without her. As always, I own nothing TB or SVM related. I hope you enjoy!**

* * *

 _Miami Beach – Spring Break 2016_

"What can I get you?"

Sookie hesitated for a moment as she tried to steel her nerves, grateful for the loud music and raucous laughter that surrounded her. "Can I please get four shots of house tequila, one Slippery Nipple, one Blowjob, one Sex on the Beach, and one Screaming Orgasm?" she finally asked after a few moments, her face red as a lobster as she internally cursed her friends for what they were putting her through.

The red-headed bartender threw her head back in laughter, wiping tears from her eyes before reaching to grab the right amount of shot glasses for the order. "Looks like someone drew the short straw," she replied with a wink, reaching for the bottle of tequila. "Trust me, honey…after ten years in this spot, nothing you order is going to scandalize me. That your table over there?" she asked, nodding towards the spot where Sookie's friends sat giggling and watching their companion. "I'll send someone over with your tray of drinks once I get them up. Shouldn't be too long, though."

Sookie thanked the woman with a smile and motioned to her friends that she was going to the bathroom, then weaved her way through the throng of people that surrounded her. It was the last night of Spring Break, and Sookie couldn't be more excited to get home. When her brother's fiancé had mentioned possibly going away for a spring break/bachelorette party combination, Sookie had looked at her like she'd been speaking in another language. One week in Miami with crowds of people doing nothing but drinking and partying late into the night? No, thank you. But then Tara and Jessica had gotten involved in the planning, prompting her to finally give in after what felt like hours of guilt trips and pleading from all three women.

They'd managed to keep the week pretty low-key so far, grabbing a few drinks at a different bar each night. They'd always leave before things got too rowdy, retreating to their rented bungalow to watch movies or gossip all night. Days, at least for Sookie, had been spent lounging on the beach and soaking up as much sun as possible. Sunbathing on her apartment balcony in Shreveport definitely had nothing on the gloriousness of Florida beach sun. Unsurprisingly, Tara had been the one to suggest they hit up _Kingdom Come_ again on their last night. She'd seen some flyer advertising a big party for the final night and convinced the other three that they all needed to experience Spring Break fully at least once before they left the next morning.

Which was how Sookie now found herself drowning in a sea of people. "I really wish you'd let me leave after my drinks are gone," she yelled over the music to her friends once she'd made it back from the bathroom, letting out a sigh of exasperation as she saw all three shake their heads in the negative. "Why you think this is some sort of 'rite of passage', I'll never know," she grumbled, though couldn't help but smile a little. She knew her friends were just looking out for her, trying to be sure that she didn't spend every waking moment of her life with her nose in her textbooks.

"Oh, hush your mouth, Sookie Stackhouse. You may talk like you're not enjoying yourself, but I sure as hell haven't seen you smile as much as you have this past week in a long ass time," Brigette Porter retorted with a small smirk on her face, laughing as the younger blonde stuck out her tongue. "Just because I'm marrying your goofball of a brother doesn't mean you're not still my best friend, Stackhouse. I'm going to be worried about you from now until death do us part," she added with a wink and a shrug, then sat up straight as she caught sight of someone over Sookie's shoulders. "Oh, Lordy. If I didn't desperately love that man of mine back home, I'd be ordering a tall drink of _that_ ," she said as she gestured with her chin, causing Jess and Tara both to softly wolf whistle as they registered what she was looking at.

"Christ on a crutch. What are you three…," Sookie trailed off as she turned slightly in her seat, barely able to keep her jaw from going slack as she saw the person walking towards them; tall, blond, and definitely _all_ man. "They sure don't make them like _that_ back in Louisiana," Sookie said lowly, as her eyes traveled up the man's body, a deep blush coming to her face when she accidentally made eye contact with him. "Well, hell," she mumbled as she quickly turned back around, hiding her face in her hands as she heard her friends' giggles turn into full-on laughter. And just when she thought the situation couldn't get any _more_ embarrassing, it went and took a swan dive right over the edge. "Which one of you lovely ladies is in need of a Screaming Orgasm?"

"Sookie!" all three of the traitors that she once called friends yelled at once, her head snapping up so hard she wouldn't be surprised if she'd given herself a concussion or caused internal decapitation. The deep chuckle from behind her had her swallowing the scathing retort that she'd cued up for her companions, choosing to sit up even straighter and take a deep breath instead. "That would be me," she said as she tentatively held up a finger, turning slightly in her seat to come face to face once more with probably the most gorgeous man she'd ever laid eyes on.

"Well…I'll see what I can do to help with that, then," the man said with a wink as he set the shot glass down in front of her, then turned to dole out the rest of the drinks on his tray. "My name's Eric and I'll be here all night. Don't hesitate to give a shout if any of you need anything," he added as he turned away, giving Sookie one final smile before walking back toward the bar.

All four women at the table watched Eric as he walked away, each of their heads tilted slightly as they watched him move. "If you don't jump on that, I just may need to break up with Hoyt so _I_ can," Jess said with a grin as Sookie turned back to face the rest of the table, throwing her head back when she saw the look on her friend's face. "Cheese and rice, Sooks, you know I'm just joking! Hoyt's it for me, just like Brigette's got Jason and Tara's got JB. Which, my friend, means _you're_ the only one who can jump on _that_ ," Jess added with a wink, gesturing with her chin.

" _So_ not gonna happen," Sookie grumbled under her breath, though she couldn't help but turn around to look for Eric in the crowd. She bit her lip gently as her eyes fell on his retreating form, letting out a small laugh as she turned back towards her friends and reached for one of the shots of tequila. "To fine men with even finer asses."

* * *

"Eric! If you're done eye fucking the back of that blonde's head, your sister's on the phone for you."

Eric shook himself out of the trance that he'd fallen into, turning his head to glare at the short red-head that stood to his left. She wasn't wrong though, since he'd probably spent the last five minutes staring a hole into the back of Sookie's head. "Careful, Soph. Your bitch is showing again," he answered with a smirk, setting down the glass he'd been drying to grab the corded phone from the woman. "Pam, if this is about that party again, you already know what my answer is," he said by way of greeting, stepping into the back hallway to find a smidge of quiet.

"I _know_ that, Eric. Stop beating a dead horse already! I just wanted to let you know that I'm gonna stay the night at Felicia's. It's not like you're going to be home anytime soon, anyhow."

Eric rolled his eyes a little at his sister's biting retort, but couldn't help the smile that came to his face. While she may have acted wiser than her seventeen years most days, there were others where she easily reminded him that she was the quintessential teenager. "That sounds like a good idea. Just promise me you girls won't go out and do any joyriding tonight. You know how crazy it can get out there each year. Just…order a pizza with the card or something and stay in." He hoped the lure of being able to use her emergency credit card would entice her to do exactly what he wanted; stay far away from any drunken idiots that he knew she would encounter.

"You're the best, Eric. Love you!"

Eric heard the beep of the dropped call before he could open his mouth to repeat the sentiment, letting out a sigh as he hung the landline back up. While Spring Break was one of the most profitable weeks, he hated leaving Pam to her own devices. As someone who had been a teenager in Miami once, he knew just how easily one could lose themselves in the raucous revelry around them. "Why'd I have to have a sister? If Pam had been a boy, my stress level would be so much lower right now," he said to Sophie as he returned to her side at the bar, grabbing some glasses to set out for the drink order she was working on.

Sophie LeClerc threw her head back in laughter, wiping tears from her eyes before moving to mix the drinks she needed. "Because unleashing _two_ Eric Northmans on Miami would've been so much better? Don't you forget, you were exactly like each one of those guys out there not too long ago," she said with a wink, bumping her hip gently against his as they continued to fill drinks side by side. "And as much as I _thoroughly_ enjoyed the 'sowing your wild oats' phase that you went through, I actually prefer this side of you better," she added with a warm smile, lifting up the tray of finished drinks. "Take this over to the blonde and her friends, on the house. And if you want to knock off early, Sam and Terry will be coming in soon. You've put in more than your fair share between yesterday and today, Eric," she told him as she plopped the tray into his hands, turning him around and giving a small shove of encouragement to get him moving.

Eric shook his head slightly as he walked, expertly maneuvering his way through the throngs of people. Sophie was as subtle as a brick to the face, but she usually knew him better than he knew himself. Ten years of knowing each other had seen their relationship evolve from a casual fling to equals and good friends, something that he would be eternally grateful for. And if she was dropping the hint that he should go for it, then it was time to do more than just daydream about the woman that was now mere feet from him.

"Ladies? Another round, on the house," he offered as he set out the shots in front of each of the four women, unable to keep his eyes off of Sookie as he completed his task. "A thank you for spending your last night in paradise with us," he added when he heard them all begin to protest, his smile growing a bit wider when he saw a faint blush come to Sookie's cheeks. He heard her mumble her thanks and nodded his head a little, turning to walk away before catching sight of Sophie glaring at him and making a 'shooing' motion with her hands. 'All right. It's now or never, Northman,' he thought to himself as he turned back towards the table, knowing he would probably end up regretting not trying to talk to Sookie more. "Do…do you want to dance?"

Sookie's breath caught in her throat as she slowly turned her head to look up at Eric, waving a hand behind her as she heard her friends' gleeful responses to the question she'd just been asked. "Won't you get in trouble with your boss? I mean…it _is_ one of the busiest nights of the year. I wouldn't want you getting fired or anything for fraternizing with your patrons," she said softly as she felt her face flame even warmer, though she was already reaching out hesitantly to take the hand that was offered to her.

Eric smiled as he helped Sookie to her feet, his breath catching in his throat as the warmth of her hand sent a small shiver down his spine. There was something special about this woman before him, he just knew it. And he hated that this was probably the first and only time he would ever see her. "I have to admit that this is a first, asking you to dance," he explained as he led her towards the dance floor, seamlessly inserting them into the throng of bodies that already capitalized most of the space. "I usually keep to myself behind the bar as much as possible, so I'm not too sure how she would react about me 'fraternizing' on the clock," he added, though he could see Sophie's tell-tale 'I told you so' smirk over the top of Sookie's head. "But since I've apparently finished my shift for the night, I guess we'll never know."

Sookie smiled as Eric took one of her hands in his, her breath catching in her throat slightly as she felt his other wrap around her waist. She bit her lip as she felt herself be pulled close to his body, unable to tear her eyes from his as she placed her free hand on his shoulder. She was silent as they swayed back and forth to the rhythm of a song that was slightly slower than what had been playing the entire time she'd been in the bar, shaking her head with a small laugh as she turned her head and caught sight of Tara and Jess giggling near the jukebox in the corner. "My friends are about as subtle as a brick to the face," she said with a sigh, raising an eyebrow as Eric burst out laughing.

"Sorry…it's just that's exactly what I was thinking about my boss earlier," Eric explained as he gently ran his free hand up and down Sookie's back, smiling as she began to laugh as well. "I guess we should take their hints," he added with a wink, holding her a little closer as he felt her rest her head against his shoulder.

They continued to move to the music, both blocking out the sounds of the revelers around them. Sookie honestly couldn't remember the last time she'd felt so content, silently thanking her friends once more for talking her into joining them on this trip. While she doubted this would go past a dance or two, allowing herself to relax and just enjoy the moment was exactly what she needed.

"You want to get out of here?" Eric heard himself asking as the song began to wind down, not yet ready to let go of the woman in his arms. "I know a spot on the beach not too far from here. We can just walk and talk. It's surprisingly _not_ party-central, so we won't have all this to contend with," he offered, waving a hand to motion to all of the craziness that currently surrounded them.

Sookie hesitated for a moment, working hard to squash the momentary bit of reluctance that was already rising within her. "I…" she trailed off as she took a deep breath, turning to look back at her friends who were all sitting at the table. She rolled her eyes with a small laugh as she saw them all giving her a thumbs-up, nodding her head as she turned to look back at Eric. "I'd like that," she finished with a smile, unable to quell the giddiness that she felt as he took her hand in his and began to lead her to the exit. 'You only live once, Stackhouse,' she thought to herself.

"Wait!" Brigette yelled as she stood up quickly, grabbing her phone off the table to snap a quick photo of Eric. "Just for safety's sake, you know? And her brother is a cop, so don't do anything that would warrant him putting a BOLO out on your ass," she said as she saved the photo and crossed her arms over her chest, her brow raised sternly as she waited for his response. She may be all for Sookie cutting loose and having some fun, but she sure as hell didn't want anything bad to happen.

Eric smiled as a spluttering Sookie covered her face in embarrassment, nodding his head in understanding as he looked at each of Sookie's companions. "You have nothing to worry about, I promise," he murmured as he gently squeezed Sookie's hand, waiting until she said goodbye to her friends once more before leading her towards the door.

* * *

"Tell me about your friends."

Sookie smiled as they walked side by side down the beach, the crashing of the waves somewhat peaceful in contrast to the loud partying that could be heard in the distance. "Well…Tara, the loudmouth, and I have known each other since we were in diapers. Our mamas used to be part of a knitting club and we got stuck in the playpen together. We always gravitated towards each other at school, so the friendship just stuck. I honestly can't remember a point in my life when she _wasn't_ there." She paused for a moment to kick off her flip flops, smiling as Eric did the same and then offered to carry hers.

"Jess, or Red as we tend to call her, is the newest to the group. We had some classes together a couple years ago and wound up inseparable. She ending up meeting, and is now dating, my brother's best friend, so she'll be around for a long while," she added with a smile, thinking about how adorable Jess and Hoyt were each time she saw them together. "And then there's Brigette; best friend, former roommate, and future sister-in-law. Don't know why she's decided to lump herself in with my bonehead of a brother, but I honestly can't imagine anyone more perfect for him. I may have played a bit of matchmaker on that one," she said with a laugh, rubbing gently at her arms to ward off the chill from the sea air.

Eric smiled as he timidly wrapped an arm around Sookie's shoulders, a jolt of happiness shooting through him as he felt Sookie's body relax into his and her arm wrap around his waist. "It sounds like quite the tribe you have there. And it sounds like they're all lucky to have you in their lives," he murmured as they continued to walk, his fingers gently caressing the skin of her upper arm. "You mentioned classes. What's your major?"

"I'm just about done my Bachelors in Psychology, and then I'm going to buckle down and continue for my Masters. All this," Sookie started, motioning around her, "is sort of the calm before the storm, you know? Once September rolls around, I doubt I'll be seeing much outside of my apartment and the school library." She reluctantly pulled out of Eric's embrace, a wry smile on her face as she looked up at him. "What's your story, Mr. 'I'm a bartender who somehow managed to get an insanely busy night off'? I feel like I'm the one who's done all the talking here."

Eric couldn't help but laugh at Sookie's inquisition, unable to do anything but agree with her. "You're right, and that was certainly rude of me." He slowed their pace to a stop and plopped down to face the ocean, smiling as he helped Sookie navigate her way to sit between his legs. "I moved to Miami from Texas when I was eighteen, ready to take on the world with what I thought was my newfound independence. I ended up broke within the first few months, naturally, which was how I found myself groveling for a job at _Kingdom Come_. Sophie took pity on me and even spotted me some rent money until I could get back on my feet." He rested his chin on the top of Sookie's head as he felt her settle more against him, unable to shake how right she felt in his arms.

"I got my act together and started going to school, all while working as much as I could to start saving up as much as I could," he added, frowning a little as he tried to figure out how to phrase the next part of his life story. "Then about four years ago, everything came crashing down…and now I have Pam to support as well."

"Pam? Is that an ex…or a daughter?" Sookie asked hesitantly, unsure of how to respond. It wasn't like she was ever going to see Eric again, in the grand scheme of things. But the fact that he might have some sort of dirty laundry was now nagging at her. "Not that it's any of my business," she added quickly.

Eric shook his head as he laughed softly, unable to keep himself from pressing a gentle kiss to the top of Sookie's head. "Pam is…she's my sister, but she's been living with me since our mom abandoned her to run off with her flavor of the week. And let me tell you…raising a teenage girl is no joke."

Sookie couldn't help but giggle at Eric's statement, watching the waves as they rolled towards shore. "My brother, Jason, could certainly agree with you on that one. Our parents died when we were younger, and then we moved in to live with our Gran. She took ill right after Jason graduated from the police academy while I was in high school, and never really got back to her old self. Once she realized how bad her health was declining, she transferred guardianship of me to Jason and that was that. I know I made his life hell, too…but I definitely appreciate every single thing he's done for me. I'm sure Pam feels the same way about you."

Eric wanted to laugh at how insane everything felt in that moment. What were the odds of bumping into a complete stranger whose life was something similar to his own? "Is it crazy how right everything feels with you?" he finally asked after a few moments of silence, unable to keep the many thoughts dancing around his mind from breaking free. "I see hundreds of women every day, yet none of them have called to me like you do."

Sookie couldn't help but snort at his statement, deciding to tease him a little before putting him out of his misery. "Hundreds of girls? Boy, you sure know how to make someone feel special," she said softly, then looked up as she felt Eric's body stiffen slightly. "I was only joking," she added quickly, unable to help but smile at the look of relief on his face. "I protested this trip until I was blue in the face, so I definitely wasn't prepared for the fact that I'd meet someone who made me feel the most relaxed I have in a long time."

Eric stared down at Sookie for a few moments, his eyes zeroing in on her bottom lip as he saw her teeth begin to chew nervously on it. Not allowing himself another second to reconsider, he dipped his head and gently brushed his lips against hers. He kept the kiss soft at first as he waited to see how Sookie would respond, barely able to suppress the moan that threatened to break free as he felt her return the kiss. He brought a hand up to cup her face as he felt her shift to get a better angle, that moan succeeding in its mission as Sookie maneuvered herself until she was facing him completely and had her legs wrapped around his waist.

Sookie let out a moan of her own as she felt Eric's tongue against her lips, opening her mouth slightly to allow it entrance to dance with her own. She was keenly aware of Eric's hands beginning to roam up and down her back, her own fingers coming up to fist in his hair as his hands moved down further to cup her ass through the denim of her shorts. "We-we probably should move before beach patrol or something comes along and throws a bucket of water on us," she gasped out as Eric's lips trailed down her chin to her neck, letting out another small moan as she felt his teeth gently join the mix. "We can Uber to the bungalow I'm at. I doubt the girls will be home for a while."

Eric shook his head as he gave Sookie a kiss that curled both of their toes, jostling her until he was able stand and sweep her into his arms bridal style. "My place is up past the dunes, a little ways back. Pam's staying at a friend's house tonight. She probably won't be back until tomorrow afternoon."

Sookie felt a small pang of regret shoot through her at Eric's words, barely able to keep the sadness from her face as she looked up at him. Tomorrow afternoon she would already be back in her Shreveport apartment, the feel of Eric's lips on hers a memory that she would be desperately clinging onto. The rational side of her told her it would be silly to do anything that would cause her to form an attachment…but the relaxed, care free side? It told her to carpe diem the hell out of each and every moment. As if to both him and herself, she replied, "Well, what are you waiting for? Lead the way."

* * *

 **A/N: Two chapters left to this short little ditty. Hope you enjoy the ride :-)**


	3. The Middle

**A/N: Hello, and welcome to the penultimate chapter of Night One! Many thanks to _Asrailefay_ for her beta-ing skills and guidance, as well as to each and every reader. Long chapter and lemon warnings ahead. I own nothing TB or SVM related. Enjoy!**

* * *

"Please don't judge me based on how the house may look. It _was_ clean when I left for the bar this afternoon, but God only knows what state Pam left it in," Eric said sheepishly as he gave Sookie's hand a little squeeze, reaching his free hand into the pocket of his board shorts to fish out his keys. After unlocking the door he peeked his head in, letting out a sigh of relief as his first glance showed that at least the entryway was clear of any shoes or purses that his sister usually left lying around. "Looks good."

Sookie let out a laugh as Eric pushed the door fully open and motioned for her to go in, leaning up to brush her lips against his cheek as she moved past him. "I doubt anyone on the planet is messier than my brother, so I wasn't too worried," she said with a smile, pausing to look around once Eric had shut the door behind them. "Your home is gorgeous; I love it."

Eric smiled warmly as he led Sookie into the kitchen, gently lifting her up to sit on one of the stools at the breakfast bar. "Thank you," he murmured, dipping his head to give her a soft kiss. "Can I get you anything to drink? I have beer, wine, and some other things," he offered, reaching out a hand to brush a strand of hair behind Sookie's ear.

"Mmm…a glass of white wine, if you have it, would be perfect," Sookie answered, tilting her head up a little to give Eric another kiss. They'd barely been able to keep their hands off each other on their trek back to his house, even stopping once to make-out in an alleyway. While she knew both of them wanted nothing other than to jump right into bed, having a drink and a few moments to settle down probably was the best course right now. She got up to wander aroundthe kitchen as Eric got out a bottle of wine and some glasses, a warm smile coming to her face as her eyes landed on a series of framed photos on the wall. "Is this Pam?" she asked, seeing multiple photos of a young Eric with an even younger girl. One picture in particular, though, had her a little confused. "Where were you that you were able to make snow angels? I doubt any snow in Texas would've amounted to this."

Eric let out a small laugh as he poured out two glasses of chardonnay, handing Sookie one after he made his way over to her. "Yes, that little hellion is Pam. She was an extremely cute child and always used that to her advantage. Still does, come to think of it," he added, playfully rolling his eyes. "And that was from when we went to visit our grandparents in Sweden. I was actually born there, but we moved to Texas when I was ten. It's a bit of a long story, actually. No need to bore you with my family's sordid history," he said with an apologetic smile and a shake of his head. The details of his past weren't anything he would wish on a close friend, not to mention this woman that he'd only just met.

"About as long as it'll take us to finish this bottle of wine?" Sookie asked with a twinkle in her eyes, not waiting for Eric's response before grabbing his hand and walking towards the living room. "I promise you're not the only one with a sordid past. I'd love to know anything about you that you want to share," she murmured as she sat down on the couch next to him, a warm smile coming to her face as Eric pulled her close and began his story once more.

* * *

"And since Sophie gave me a bit of ownership in the bar five years ago, I'd been able to buy this place and build a strong home base. All parties involved thought I would be able to provide Pam with more stability than shipping her to Sweden and our grandparents would," Eric finished, keenly aware of the fact that Sookie was trying to wipe away tears without him knowing. He set his now empty glass down on the coffee table and pulled her into a hug, pressing a soft kiss to the top of her head as he gently rocked from side to side. "If I had known this is what your reaction would be, I would've made up a bit of a happier tale."

Sookie snorted a little as she gave her face one last wipe, maneuvering her body so that she was straddling Eric's lap. "I'm a sucker for happy endings, so tears were bound to happen," she answered with a smile, gently running her fingers through his hair. "I also happen to be a sucker for guys who know how to treat their sisters right," she added with wink, letting out a laugh as Eric flipped them so that she was now on her back with him braced on top of her. "Thank you for sharing all that with me, Eric. I can't imagine how hard it is to tell that story to anyone, never mind a complete stranger."

Eric smiled as he looked down at Sookie, dipping his head to give her a kiss that was close to threatening both of their control. "That's the funny thing, you know? I know we only just met tonight…but I feel like I've known you forever," he murmured breathlessly, letting out a small growl of contentment as Sookie's hands on the back of his head pushed his lips back down towards hers once more.

It was as if everything they'd desperately held at bay on the beach decided to break free in that moment, as Sookie found her tongue once again dancing wildly with Eric's. Her hands came down to find the hem of his shirt, barely even pausing before she started to tug it up. She broke away from the kiss so that she could pull the shirt off fully, her breath catching in her throat as she took in the sight of his tanned and toned upper body. "What are the chances of Pam coming home and walking in on us?" she asked, then let out a moan as Eric's teeth gently nipped at her neck.

"Unless she randomly changes her mind about staying at Felicia's house, none," Eric whispered as his hands glided up and down Sookie's sides, continuing to nibble at her neck as she arched against him. "We should move this to the bedroom, though. More room to…stretch out," he offered with a smirk, then let out a moan of his own as one of Sookie's hands palmed him over his shorts. "Yes, definitely should move this."

Sookie wrapped her arms around Eric's neck as he moved to stand up with an arm underneath her, wrapping her legs around his waist for stability as he began to move them down the hallway. She dipped her head down to nip gently at Eric's bottom lip, letting out a surprised gasp as he turned and pressed her back against the wall. Her hands tangled in his hair as their mouths raged war against each other, her body tingling with each new sensation that coursed through it. "Bedroom. Now."

Eric growled softly as he felt Sookie's legs tighten around him, his free hand snaking up to gently grope at one of her breasts. The whimper that she let out caused him harden a little more, her name leaving his lips in a gasp as she rolled her hips and rubbed against him just right. Afraid that his legs would give out on him from all of the pleasure, he pulled Sookie away from the wall and made his way towards his bedroom. He kicked the door shut behind them and locked it, walking over to gently lay Sookie down on his bed. "You're gorgeous," he murmured as he looked down at Sookie, his eyes taking in her flushed cheeks and swollen lips.

Sookie blushed a little at Eric's words, doing her best to not hide her face. Now was certainly not the time to chicken out. "I've never done anything like this, you know?" she started, then continued when she saw the hesitation in his eyes. "No, no. I mean…I've done _this_ ," she added, gesturing between the two of them, "I just haven't ever had a fling before. And my track record with men hasn't been so hot, so I'm worried I'm going to do something wrong or disappoint you."

Eric laid down on the bed next to Sookie, resting his hand on her cheek as he gave her a deep and warm kiss. "While I doubt you could ever disappoint me, we don't have to do anything that you don't want to do. You set the pace, okay?" He pulled her close, smiling as she snuggled against his chest. They laid there in silence for a few moments, then Eric tried to ignore the feeling in the pit of his stomach as Sookie pulled away.

Sookie was silent as she sat up and took off her tank top, her eyes never leaving Eric's as her hands moved to work at the tie of her bikini top. She watched his eyes darken a bit when she tossed it to the side, the sound of her heart beating wildly in her ears as she laid back down and crooked a finger at him. "I want _you_."

Eric slowly reached out and grabbed Sookie by the hips, pulling at her gently until she was above him and straddling his waist. He kept his eyes locked on hers as he trailed his fingers up and down her sides, keenly aware of how her breath hitched in her throat each time he grazed the underside of her breasts. "Absolutely gorgeous," he said softly, continuing to gently tease at her skin until goosebumps began to rise.

Sookie let out a small groan of frustration each time Eric's fingers retreated from her breasts, her body practically humming with the need to feel his hands on it. She gently grabbed his hands on their next pass upwards, barely able to contain a smile as she saw the slight look of worry in his eyes. "I think that's enough of that," she murmured, then brought his hands up to rest them fully on her breasts.

On instinct Eric's hands contracted gently, his eyes gleaming with satisfaction as he heard Sookie softly moan his name. After a few moments of kneading and teasing the flesh beneath his hands he scooted his body back, shifting so that he was sitting up against his headboard with Sookie's legs now wrapped around his waist. He dipped his head to claim her lips in a searing kiss, one hand tangled in her hair and holding her close as the other began to tweak and pull at her nipples.

Sookie couldn't help but roll her hips, both of them moaning loudly as her heated center pressed against Eric's body in a way that had them both shuddering slightly. She gasped out his name as his lips trailed down her neck, throwing her head back in ecstasy as she felt warmth envelope one of her nipples. Her hand pressed against the back of his head as she felt his teeth gently enter the mix, her other hand drifting in between them to pull at the strings of his shorts

Eric hissed out Sookie's name as soon as he felt her warm hand encircle him, his eyes nearly rolling back in his head as she began to stroke. "You make it hard for me to not lose control around you, Sookie," he gasped out as he nipped at the skin of her breast once more, one hand sneaking around to firmly grip her ass and pull her flush against him. "Part of me wants to take as much time as possible to learn every inch of your body before making love to you slowly, while the other part wants to throw you down and fuck you hard."

Sookie's breath caught in her throat, her body trembling slightly at the sensations caused by Eric's words. No one had ever spoken to her like that before, so she was pleasantly surprised at how even more turned on she felt in that moment. "My flight isn't noon tomorrow," she started, giving him one last firm stroke before rolling off of him and getting to her feet next to the bed. "Why not both?" she finished, her hands slowly going to the button of her shorts.

Eric watched with bated breath as Sookie unbuttoned and pushed down her shorts, his eyes glazing over slightly as her bikini bottoms soon joined the pile on the floor. He gripped the sheets between his hands for a few moments, letting out a shaky breath before sliding off the bed to stand next to Sookie. "Why don't you lay back down and get comfy," he suggested lowly, gently tipping her chin up to give her a kiss that made both of their knees weak. "I just need to grab something from the bathroom."

Sookie nodded and climbed back onto the bed, smiling as she watched Eric disappear through a door on the other side of the room. Her eyes caught sight of the clock next to the bed, a bit of sadness rolling through her as she saw that it was already close to ten o'clock. In twelve hours she would need to be packed up and at the airport, leaving behind the one person she'd felt most comfortable around in a long time. The sound of the bathroom door opening pulled her from her thoughts, her mouth going dry as a fully naked and at attention Eric stepped back into the room. "Sweet baby Jesus," she mumbled under her breath, sitting up fully as she watched him stalk towards her.

Eric couldn't help but smirk at Sookie's reaction as he moved back towards the bed, tossing the small square he carried onto the side table before crawling into bed and pulling her body back on top of his. His hands tangled in her hair and brought her head down so their lips could meet, groaning out her name as he felt her press her hips against his. "I want you to ride me, Sookie," he growled out softly as he snuck a hand between her legs, his fingers deftly teasing and stroking at the wetness that he found there.

Sookie threw her head back with a loud moan as Eric's fingers found her bundle of nerves, gasping out his name as she felt one of those fingers slip into her. She blindly reached a hand out towards the side table, letting out another loud moan as a second finger joined the first. She gripped the foil packet tight and brought it in front of her, barely able to focus on the task at hand as Eric began to slowly pump his fingers. She managed to open the package and extract the condom, nearly fumbling the item as waves of pleasure coursed through her body. She reluctantly shifted herself away from Eric's hand, moving down slightly so that she had the correct angle needed to slowly roll the condom onto him.

If Eric had thought Sookie stroking him earlier had felt amazing, it certainly didn't compare to the feeling of her stroking and squeezing to get the condom situated. "Careful. We don't want this to be over before we start," he breathed out with a small laugh, then let out a small groan as Sookie situated her entrance over him.

Sookie rolled her eyes playfully at his words, then let out a gasp as she slowly lowered herself onto him. Never before had she felt so full, felt so complete. Her eyes stayed locked on Eric's as she slowly pushed down until their hips met, both of their breathing ragged as she gripped the sheets on either side of his head. She was almost afraid to move, for everything felt so perfect in that moment. Wordlessly she dipped her head to press her lips against his, letting out a small whimper as she felt his hands gently grip her hips. "You feel so good," she whispered as she slowly began to lift her hips, giving him another kiss before moving to bury her face against his neck.

Eric let out a groan of pleasure as he pushed his hips up to meet Sookie's as they came back down, letting the fingers of one hand dance up and down the skin of her back. He felt her shudder a little at his touch, smiling warmly as she pushed herself up and braced her hands on either side of his head. "So do you," he replied with a low moan as she began to slowly ride him, both hands moving back to her hips to help guide her movements. He gasped out her name as he felt her inner muscles begin to contract around him, lifting his head to capture one of her nipples in mouth.

Sookie cried out at the feeling of Eric's mouth on her, a hand moving to grasp the back of his head and hold him close. Her hips began to move faster as she felt his tongue and teeth tease her nipple, gasping out his name as she tangled her fingers in his hair. It wasn't long before she felt a familiar heat quickly coiling in her belly, letting out a yell as her orgasm slammed into her.

Eric's eyes rolled into the back of his head when he felt Sookie explode around him, barely able to keep himself from going over the edge as well. He shallowly thrusted up as Sookie's hips slowed down, brushing soft kisses over her face and lips as he waited for her to catch her breath. He gently rolled her beneath him, letting out a groan as her muscles contracted around him in a way that seemed to pull him deeper.

Sookie gasped softly as Eric hit a certain spot within her, lifting her head to press her lips deeply against his as she felt his body begin to move against hers. She wrapped her legs around his waist to pull him in even more, feeling his body shudder slightly with that action. She could tell that he was trying to hold back, could tell that he wanted to move faster than he was. "Fuck me, Eric," she finally gasped out after a few moments, purposefully gripping herself around him. "There's time for slow and sweet later."

Eric slowed his movements momentarily to look down at Sookie, seeing the same need that he felt reflected in her eyes. He dipped his head down to nip at her bottom lip as he slowly pulled back, his lips covering hers to swallow her moan of surprise as his hips began to move fast and hard. He knew it wouldn't be long before he lost himself in her, but he was determined to send her over the edge at least one more time. He slipped a hand down in between them to play with her bundle of nerves, letting out a groan as she arched against him. "That's it, _min_ _älskare_. Come for me," he gasped out, dipping his head to press his lips against hers once more.

Sookie let out a whimper as she felt Eric's fingers on her, that heat coiling in her belly once more. Her body was alight with all of the sensations coursing through it and she knew it wouldn't be long before she tumbled over the edge again. She gasped out Eric's name as she pushed her hips up to meet his, then let out a cry as pleasure slammed into her and she saw stars.

Eric thrust into Sookie a few more times, roaring out her name as he lost control and buried himself deeply in her. He pressed his face firmly against her neck as his body continued to jerk, letting out a small groan of contentment as his heart pounded in his ears. He rested his body on hers, careful not to crush her under his weight, and brushed kisses all over her face. "Are you okay?" he finally asked after a few moments when he noticed a few tears under her eyes, rolling onto his side and pulling her close.

Sookie nodded as she buried her face against Eric's chest, content to just stay there with his strong arms wrapped around her. "I'm fine," she whispered after a few moments, tilting her head up to give him a soft kiss. "That was amazing, Eric," she murmured, gently stroking a hand up and down his back.

Eric smiled and returned her kiss, pressing his lips to her forehead as he pulled away. "It was," he agreed with a boyish grin on his face, hugging her tightly before he reluctantly pulled away. "Excuse me for a moment," he said as he gave her a soft kiss, slowly getting out of bed to make his way back towards the bathroom. He quickly disposed of the condom and washed up, eager to get back to the naked woman in his bed.

Sookie watched appreciatively as Eric went into the bathroom, a big grin on her face as he soon came back into the room. "I think it should be illegal for you to wear clothes," she teased with a laugh, tilting her head to the side in confusion as Eric kneeled at the foot of the bed and gently pulled her to the edge. "And just what do you think you're doing?"

Eric smirked as he nudged Sookie's legs apart, lightly blowing on her glistening sex. "We had fast and hard…now I just need to keep myself occupied until we can go slow and sweet," he said with a grin, then reached proceeded to bury his face between her legs.

* * *

Sookie rested her head on Eric's chest, both of them gasping for breath as they waited to come down from their orgasmic highs. She listened to his heart beat loudly for a bit, smiling as she felt his hands run gently up and down her back. "Mmm…was that Swedish you were speaking before?" she asked after a few moments, remembering the foreign words that had slipped past his lips a few times. "Al-scare-ah or something like that?"

Eric's chest rumbled with soft laughter, his head dipping down so that he could press a kiss to the top of her head. "Close… _Älskare_. It means 'lover'," he replied with a smile, continuing to stroke his hands up and down her back. "I try to stay fluent for whenever we visit with our grandparents. Their English is okay, but Swedish is easier for them. It took a little while for Pam to learn, since she's lived in the US her entire life, but I made sure she was fluent enough to be able to hold conversations with them."

"Could you teach me a little?" Sookie asked, lifting her head to smile up at Eric. "I know some Creole French and I took a couple of years of Spanish in high school, but I always wanted to learn something more…exotic." And exotic was exactly how Swedish sounded every time Eric spoke it. If anything, Sookie was looking for an excuse to hear him speak more of it.

Eric let out a small laugh, shifting their bodies so that they were laying on their sides facing each other. "You certainly are a more eager pupil than Pam was," he teased with a grin, propping his head up on his hand. "Why don't we start with _Vårlov_? That means Spring Break." He said it a couple of times more slowly for Sookie, then laid back to listen to her attempts.

Sookie stumbled over the phrase a few times, each time closer than the previous attempt. " _Vårlov_ ," she finally managed a few minutes later, her face breaking out in a wide smile as she saw the grin on Eric's face. "I did it!" she cried out victoriously, pulling his face to hers for a quick kiss. "Now tell me something dirty."

Eric smirked and opened his mouth to say how much he liked her breasts, then closed it for a second to reconsider. " _Jag älskar att vara inuti dig. Jag önskar att jag skulle älska dig varje dag för resten av våra liv,_ " he murmured, kissing her deeply for a few moments. _"Du är den mest fascinerande kvinnan jag någonsin har träffat,_ " he added after a few moments, smiling as he saw the confusion in her eyes. "Basically, I like your breasts very much," he teased, letting out a laugh as she smacked his chest. He then opened his mouth to truly tell her what he'd said, only to be cut off by his phone starting to ring. "Sorry, that's Pam's ringtone," he said with a sigh, kissing her forehead before rolling over to grab his phone off of the nightstand.

Sookie laid back to listen to Eric chat with his sister, her brow furrowing in concern when she heard Eric's tone turn to one of panic. "Everything okay?" she asked as she sat up, watching Eric quickly move to his dresser to grab some clothes from it after he hung up his phone. She watched as he silently dressed, confusion clear on her face as she moved to grab her clothes as well. "Eric…what's going on?"

Eric paused as he pulled on his shirt, trying to wrap his head around the conversation that he'd just had with his younger sister. "Pam and Felicia snuck out of Felicia's house and went to a party that I specifically told her to stay away from. Some frat guys won't leave them alone and now they're holed up in a bathroom hoping I can come rescue them." He let out a sigh as he watched Sookie finish dressing, running a hand through his hair in frustration. "I'm sorry to ruin our night, Sookie. I'll drop you at the bar on my way and Sophie can give you a ride to your bungalow…maybe we can do breakfast in the morning before your flight?"

Sookie shook her head as she followed Eric through the house, slipping her flip-flops on as she watched him grab a set of keys off a hook. "I'm going with you, Eric. I've been in Pam's place a time or two. She's going to need someone who's _not_ her protective big brother to turn to if she wants to talk," she offered softly, reaching out to give his hand a squeeze. "She'll be okay…I promise."

Eric nodded stiffly and led Sookie out of the house, pausing to lock the door behind them. Pam had _better_ be okay…otherwise the night might end up with Sookie visiting him in a jail cell.

* * *

Sookie let out a sigh as they pulled up to the address that Pam had texted Eric, the tell-tale signs of a crazy party going full-swing quite apparent. "Do people not have any decency?" she asked as they picked their way through the front lawn, stepping around all of the empty beer cans and red Solo cups that littered the ground. "We were invited to a couple of parties like this…thankfully the girls are as laid back as I am," she added, giving Eric's hand a supportive squeeze as they made their way up the front steps.

"I lived for parties like this when I first got to Miami," Eric said lowly, pushing open the door and wincing as loud music and voices practically smacked them in the face. "Now I usually pray that no one is drunk enough to throw up on my front lawn," he added with a sigh, starting to lead Sookie through the throngs of people. "Which way to the bathroom?" he asked the first somewhat sober person he could find, nodding his thanks as the young guy pointed towards a different portion of the house.

Sookie held tight to Eric's hand as they continued their quest, the hair on the back of her neck standing straight up as a voice drifted towards them. "Come on, sweethearts! We just wanted to get you some drinks and talk! Me and Al don't bite…unless you want us to, that is."

Sookie's face paled as she pulled Eric to a stop, shaking her head as he looked down at her in confusion. "I know them," she said softly, swallowing hard to keep the bile that was starting to rise at bay. "Let…let me handle this, Eric," she added, giving him a pleading look when he was reluctant to let go of her hand. "If you go in swinging, you'll get the cops called on you. I've known these guys for far longer than I'd like to admit. I can reason with their drunk asses," she assured him, leaning up to give him a kiss before turning on her heel. "Stay here…I'll yell if I need you."

Sookie stalked up to the two figures that were holding court in front of the bathroom door, rolling her eyes as they continued to heckle the girls on the other side. "So, what…college girls just not giving it up and you have to go after high schoolers now, Bill? Even for you, that's really low," she said with a grimace, crossing her arms over her chest as the two men turned around. "And you, Alcide? I know your mama taught you better than to harass women."

Bill Compton sneered down at the woman before him, though he couldn't help but eye her up and down with appreciation. "Well, well. Look what the cat dragged in, Alcide. My bitch of an ex deciding to spoil all of our fun, as usual. Run along, Sookie. This doesn't concern you and your holier than thou morals," he bit out, turning back to bang on the bathroom door. "You're starting to test my patience, sweethearts. Come on out so that we can play."

"Everything okay over here?" Eric asked, coming up behind Sookie and resting a hand on her shoulder. He'd watched from afar as she'd confronted the two men, and had noticed how the brown-haired man's demeanor had turned chilly upon seeing Sookie there. Something about how he was talking to her just didn't sit right with Eric. "We're just here to get the girls in the bathroom."

Bill scoffed and rolled his eyes, crossing his arms over his chest as he looked at the blond giant who had joined the fray. "Sookie's with you? A word of advice…don't waste your time on that one," he said with a snort, smacking his buddy's arm and gesturing to Sookie. "That one? She won't let you get in her pants unless you say you love her. And then once she decides she doesn't want to give it up anymore? She'll tattle on you to her brother and get you arrested for attempted rape. Seriously, man…don't get hung up on Sookie. If you like blondes, maybe I'll let you have a chance with-"

A fist connecting with Bill's nose silenced him for a short moment, all of the partygoers around them pausing in their revelry to watch the scene unfold. "You are such a piece of shit, Bill Compton," Sookie gasped out as she shook out her throbbing hand, thanking God she'd remembered to not tuck her thumb in like Jason had taught her. "I should call Jason right now and tell him your up to your old tricks. I'm sure he's got a friend or two who works in Miami and would _love_ to drag your ass in. I may have dropped those charges a couple of years ago because I didn't want to give your grandmamma a heart attack, but I'm _not_ that naïve girl anymore. She'll just have to deal with knowing her grandson is a scumbag who likes to prey on young girls."

"And _you_!" Sookie exclaimed, rounding on the black-haired man who was trying to help Bill stand up straight. "Never in a million years would I have thought _you_ would stoop to his level, Alcide Herveaux," she spat out, fire in her eyes. "Now, you're going to take him back to whatever over-priced hotel room you two are crashing in. I don't want to even hear a whisper about him pressing charges for me hitting him. And I don't care if that's viewed as a threat by both of you or not. With our history, whose side do you think the sheriff is going to take?" she asked as she cradled her hand against her chest, breathing heavily as she watched the two men ponder her words. "Now. Git."

Eric watched in astonishment as the two men stumbled off into the crowd, quickly turning Sookie around so that he could inspect her hand. "Are you okay?" he asked, pressing a kiss to her forehead when she nodded in the affirmative. "That was the single-most stupid yet hottest thing I've ever seen," he said with a shaky laugh as he pulled her close, watching as everyone around them turned back to whatever it was they were doing. "Let's get the girls and get out of here," he added softly, moving to bang on the door with his free hand. "Pam? Felicia? It's Eric. I promise it's safe."

* * *

Sookie sat in the front seat of Eric's red Infinity, humming softly along with the song that was playing on the radio. Eric had gone in to speak with Felicia's parents once they'd arrived at the girl's house, leaving Sookie to sit in the car with a softly sniffling Pam. "It'll be okay, you know?" Sookie finally said after a few minutes, turning to give the teenager in the backseat a warm smile. "He'll probably be mad for a little while, but mostly at himself for what could have happened to you. He'll blame himself for not doing _something_ that would've made you decide not to go tonight."

Pam scoffed as she listened to the woman talk, rolling her eyes a little bit. "And how would you even know that? Aren't you just some rando that my brother picked up at the bar tonight? What do you know about how he'll feel?" She felt slightly bad for verbally attacking the woman that she was pretty sure had saved her from those creeps at the party, but she wasn't in the mood to take advice from someone who would probably be gone in the morning. "Save your breath for someone who cares."

Sookie let out a sigh, running a hand through her hair as she gathered her thoughts. " _Yes_ , I did just meet your brother at the bar tonight. But you and I are more alike than you think, Pam," she said with a small smile, digging her phone out of her purse. "Eric told me the story of what happened with your mom and how you came to live with him. How your dad moved your mom and Eric to Texas with promises of all these big things, then turned tail and ran the second he found out she was pregnant with you. How she's been in so many failed relationships over the years, that she was willing to abandon her young daughter for the first guy who said he'd marry her since he didn't want any kids."

Sookie flipped through her phone until she found a photo of herself with her older brother, turning it to show Pam. "While it's not the same, my parents died when Jason and me were younger. Then my Gran, our guardian, got sick…and Jase suddenly found himself playing dad to an angry teenage girl who had her own boatload problems, mostly involving falling in love with the wrong type of guy," she told the other girl softly, flipping through the various photos that she'd taken over the years. "But I knew that no matter how much I put him through, he was always going to be in my corner at the end of the day. And if anything, he'd always end up apologizing for failing me in some way, shape or form."

"That guy that was harassing you? The one with the _really_ bad sideburns?" Sookie asked, smiling a little as she heard Pam try and stifle a laugh. "He's my ex and not someone I would wish on _any_ girl. Jase tried to warn me off of him when we started dating in high school, but I wouldn't listen. Bill came from money and he wasn't afraid to show that off by spoiling me every chance he had." She paused, swallowing back the shudder that threatened to roll through her body as she thought about her past. "I was naïve enough to not realize that he didn't love me as much as he said he did and was just trying to get me to sleep with him. And that he wasn't willing to take no for an answer, once I finally did realize the truth."

Pam swallowed hard as she listened to Sookie speak, silently grateful that the events of the night hadn't turned out as bad as they could have. "I really didn't want to go to the party, you know? But Felicia said the guy that she liked was probably going to be there and begged me to go. I couldn't let her go alone, so I made her promise we'd only stay for an hour. But then Bill and his buddy, the lumberjack wannabe, started bugging us and wouldn't leave us alone. We sat in that bathroom for at least forty-five minutes before I called Eric. I…I don't think they would have left us alone, if you guys hadn't shown up."

Sookie watched the tears begin to slide down the younger girl's cheeks, not even hesitating before getting out to crawl in the back seat with Pam. She pulled her into a hug and murmured to her softly, rubbing her hand up and down the younger girl's back. "I know it's easier said than done, but don't think about what could have happened. We got to you guys in time and you're safe. Eric will probably ground you until you're eighteen and won't let a guy even look at you for a few years, but you're safe."

Pam sniffled a little as she tried to get her emotions in check, nodding a little as she pulled back to wipe at her face. "I just…I hate letting him down like this. His whole world practically revolves around me, and I can't even do what he says for one stupid night," she said softly, shaking her head a little. "He makes sure he's on the schedule for lunch shifts Sunday through Thursday, so that he's always home to make sure I've got my homework finished and everything ready for the next school day. Hell…he's been wanting to open a restaurant of his own for years, but has been waiting until I figure out where I want to go for college just so that he can set up shop there and not move me around too much. You're the closest thing to a girlfriend I've seen him have in four years, since I know he's hesitant about bringing anyone around me…yet I can't even stay inside with pizza and a movie the one night he made me promise I would stay put."

Sookie couldn't help her own tears that began to fall, hearing Pam praise Eric like she was. Even if Sookie hadn't already thought Eric was pretty spectacular for taking in his teenage sister, the motions he went through to make sure she was fully taken care of further cemented that notion. "He's a pretty spectacular guy," Sookie murmured, giving Pam a weak smile. "And even if it was only for the one night, I'm glad I got to meet someone like him. He loves you more than you'll ever know, Pam. I'm pretty sure he was prepared to murder anyone who got in his way of getting to you tonight."

Pam laughed softly as she wiped at her face again, shaking her head a little as she swallowed hard. "I'm glad he didn't…I would hate for him to have gone to jail or anything. I wouldn't know what to do without him." She paused, reaching out to give Sookie's hand a squeeze. "Thank you for coming with him tonight, and for scaring those guys off. For what it's worth, I'd be okay if you happened to want to spend more time with him."

Sookie let out a sound that was a mixture between a laugh and a cry as she pulled Pam into another hug, rocking the younger slightly as she gathered her thoughts. "You and me both, Pam. You and me both."

Eric got back to the car at that point, confusion in his eyes as he saw Sookie in the backseat with Pam. "Everything okay in here?" he asked, turning back towards the front to start the car. With the exception of Sophie, Eric had never seen Pam allow another woman to hug her. The product of their mother fucking her up, no doubt.

"We're fine," Pam said with a warm smile as she pulled back from the hug, giving Sookie's hand a small squeeze. "Just having some much needed girl talk," she added, catching Eric's eyes in the rearview mirror. "Let's go home."

* * *

Eric walked into his bedroom and shut the door behind him, smiling as he saw Sookie curled up under the sheets. He shed his clothes and crawled in next to her, pulling her close and giving her a soft kiss. "Pam conked out pretty soon after we finished our talk," he murmured, brushing hair out of Sookie's eyes. "She told me a little bit about your talk with her…thank you for being so supportive."

Sookie smiled as she nodded, tilting her head to give Eric a small kiss in return. "She's a great kid, Eric. Reminds me _a lot_ of myself at her age, so I figured letting her know that she's always going to have you for support would help." She paused for a moment as emotions rolled through her, a glance at the clock telling her it was almost two in the morning. "She told me about your plans for a restaurant and how they're on hold for her. I didn't realize you liked to cook. Is that what you went to school for?"

Eric nodded as he ran a hand up and down Sookie's back, feeling goosebumps spring to life underneath his touch. "I'd been ready to sell my share of the bar back to Sophie and pack myself up, planning to travel a bit until I found the perfect place to set up shop. But then Pam showed up with Child Services and I knew I had to stay here for at least the next year. Once Pam got to high school, I figured it would be better to not uproot her and just wait it out until she graduated." He paused when he heard Sookie start to sniffle, tilting her chin up so he could see her face. "Hey, now…what's with the tears?"

Sookie laughed a little as she shook her head, wiping away the tears as they continued to fall. "It's just…I hate that we only have this one night, you know? I-I could totally see myself falling in love with you, if we had more time," she said softly, her heart clenching slightly as she allowed herself to say the thoughts that had been bouncing around in her mind the entire time she was waiting for Eric to come back to bed. What she didn't say, though, was how she was pretty sure she already _had_ fallen in love with him.

"Then stay," Eric whispered, rolling her underneath him gently. "Stay here with me. Pam will be graduating in a couple of months and will be off to school. I'm sure you can transfer your credits here and finish out your degrees," he murmured, though he knew he was probably grasping at straws. "I know it's crazy, but I feel the same way."

Sookie couldn't help as the tears began to fall again, unable to stop the torrent of emotions that crashed down on her. "I can't, Eric," she whispered, even though her heart broke as she said those words. "I've got so much invested in Shreveport with my apartment and my family. And all of my contacts are there. I would pretty much have to start over with all of my research here," she added softly, hanging her head a little as she saw the heartbroken look on his face. "This was only supposed to be for one night."

Eric tried to ignore the pangs that he felt in his heart at her words, nodding silently as he dipped his head to give Sookie a searing kiss. He poured every emotion that he felt into the kiss, both of them panting for air once they broke apart. "You're right," he murmured, his breath catching in his throat as he saw her eyes fill with more tears. "Then let's make the most of what we've got left."

* * *

Sookie sniffled slightly as she zipped up her suitcase, barely able to see through the tears that were threatening to fall again. Eric had dropped her off at the bungalow shortly after sunrise, knowing that she needed to get her belongings together for her flight. He was planning to go in to see how the bar was managing after last night's festivities, then was going to pick her up and bring her to the airport. "For the last time, guys, I'm _fine_ ," she said as she felt the presence of someone hovering behind her, knowing that her friends had been silently following her since she'd been dropped off. "Yes, I found a great guy that I most likely won't ever see again. But I've come to terms with that."

Brigette rolled her eyes and shooed the other girls off to finish their packing, turning to plop down on Sookie's bed. "Are you fine, for real? Because you know your brother is a bloodhound when it comes to you being upset, and he won't let it die if he thinks anything is wrong with you." She sighed when Sookie remained silent, getting up to pull the younger girl into a hug. "I love you, Sookie. And that means I want what's best for you. Don't got back to Shreveport just for us."

Sookie shook her head and moved out of Brigette's grasp, turning to grab her suitcase off the bed. "I can't, Brig. I can't just give up everything I know for a guy who might decide he eventually doesn't want me anymore or might hurt me. I've worked too hard to get to where I am. And while deep down I know Eric would never treat me like Bill did, I just can't risk it," she whispered, wiping away her tears as she heard a car pull up outside. "I'll see you guys at the airport," she murmured, throwing on her sunglasses before giving her friend a weak smile.

Eric was leaning against his car as he waited for Sookie, his tired eyes warming up a little as he saw her come to the door of the bungalow. "You look beautiful," he murmured as he took in the sight of her in her blouse and jeans, smiling as he moved to help her with her suitcase. "Hey," he whispered after she barely looked at him, tilting her chin up to give her a kiss, "It's going to be okay."

Sookie gave him a small smile as she nodded, holding onto Eric's hand tightly as he led her to the car. She climbed in and buckled up, giving Brigette a little wave as she saw her watching from the house. "Wanna know something funny?" she finally asked after they had been driving in silence for a bit, coming to a sudden realization. "We'd actually stopped by _Kingdom Come_ for a couple of drinks on Sunday night. I'd been wondering why I hadn't seen you before last night, but then Pam told me you usually work Sunday afternoons," she whispered, her heart clenching at the thought that they might have had more time together if things had worked out slightly differently.

Eric let out a laugh that was a little forced, bringing their clasped hands up to kiss the back of hers. "Fate works in mysterious ways. Maybe I wouldn't have been able to get away, if I'd been working that night. As short as it was, I'm grateful for the time I had with you."

They spent the rest of the drive to the airport in silence, though they did steal glances at each other every so often. Eric pulled up to the Departures lane for Sookie's airline and put the car in park, swallowing what felt like an enormous lump in his throat as he turned to look at her. "I guess this is it," he whispered as he gave her hand a squeeze, reluctantly letting go so that they could each unbuckle.

Sookie nodded and got out of the car, wordlessly moving back towards the trunk. She knew that they didn't have much time, knew that the hustle and bustle of the airport was not the best place for their goodbyes…but she wanted to spend as much time as possible with him as she could. "You're an amazing guy, Eric," she whispered after he'd gotten her suitcase out, barely able to hold back her tears as he pulled her into a hug. "Last night was the best night of my life…I'm holding out that fate will throw us together again someday."

Eric dipped his head to give Sookie a searing kiss, desperately ignoring the honks that started to surround them. "You may very well be the best thing that has ever happened to me, Sookie," Eric told her softly, hold her hand over his heart. "Try not to forget me too quickly," he joked with a small smile, feeling that familiar pang in his heart as he watched her throw her head back to laugh.

"Not likely," Sookie whispered as she leaned up to give him one final kiss, tears starting to fall once more as she stepped back and gathered up her bags. "I'll see you around," she said softly, giving him a little wave before turning to walk into the airport.

Only hours later, once Eric was barking orders at his servers and Sookie was curled up in her bed in Shreveport, would the pair realize that not only had they forgotten to get each other's phone number, they hadn't even exchanged last names.

* * *

 **A/N: Thank you so much for reading! Now that the never-ending snow storms have ceased, I should be back to having enough energy/free time to have a semi-regular posting schedule. Any questions left unanswered after this chapter definitely will be addressed in the final one. Until next time!**

 **Translations:** _Jag älskar att vara inuti dig. Jag önskar att jag skulle älska dig varje dag för resten av våra liv =_ I love being inside of you. I wish that I could make love to you every day for the rest of our lives

 _Du är den mest fascinerande kvinnan jag någonsin har träffat =_ You are the most captivating woman I have ever met


	4. The Forever

**A/N: Many apologies for the delay in this chapter! Just when I think we're out of the busy season at work, we dive right back into it. As always, many thanks to my dear friend and Beta _Asrailefay_ for her assistance with this one. I own nothing TB or SVM related. Enjoy!**

* * *

Jason set his wine glass down on the table once Sookie had finished her tale, an unreadable expression on his face as he pondered his sister's words. It had been a couple of hours since they'd arrived at the restaurant, their food already come and gone by that point. He watched as some of the last remaining diners filtered out, running a hand through his hair before he turned his attention back to the women at his table. "I'm honestly not sure what shocks me more; the fact that you ran into Bill Compton and never told me, or that you slept with a guy without even getting his last name," he finally said, earning himself a smack upside the head from his wife. "Hey! I'm not judging or anything! Just pointing out that it was a very 'me' move."

"Sleep with many guys without finding out their last name, Jase?" Sookie asked with a wink before taking another sip of her wine, smiling behind her glass as she watched Brigette just barely keep herself from doing a spit-take. "It's not like I _didn't_ want to know his last name. Hell, it would've made this last year a lot easier. I just felt so comfortable with Eric, like I'd known him for years. It didn't even occur to me that I didn't know his last name, until it was too late."

Brigette reached over and patted her sister-in-law's hand, giving her a warm smile. "It's never too late, sweetie," she replied as she heard a sound, catching a glance of Eric through the swinging kitchen door. "Jason? I think it may be time for you and me to head on home," she started, shaking her head as her husband started to protest. "I have a feeling Sookie won't be needing a ride back to her apartment from you."

Jason let out a sigh and got up to ask the hostess for their check, only to return a few moments later empty-handed. "Apparently my money's no good here," he grumbled under his breath, though he couldn't help but smile a little as he looked at his sister. He'd noticed a change in her everyday mood once she'd returned from Miami last year, but at Brigette's insistence he hadn't pushed Sookie for an explanation. Now seeing the missing happiness in her eyes, he knew that Eric was the reason for its absence. "You'll be alright, Sook?" he asked as he pulled her to her feet and into a big hug, his question having more than one meaning.

Sookie buried her face against her brother's chest for a moment, fully aware that he was holding onto her longer than normal. "Yeah, Jase…I'll be alright," she answered with a grin after they separated, leaning up to kiss her brother's cheek. "Thank you for everything," she added in a soft whisper, smiling brightly at both her brother and sister-in-law. There was no way she would've made it through the past five years without their support, never mind the past year. "Promise I'll give you a call later," she said as she gave Brigette a big hug, then turned to look towards the doors that lead to the kitchen.

* * *

Eric wiped at his face with his towel and tossed it off to the side, silently watching as his line cooks finished cleaning up. He'd anticipated it being a busy day, knowing that a couple of schools in the area had held their graduation ceremonies that day. But seeing Sookie again and being able to hold her in his arms? That had thrown him off his groove more than he'd expected. "Did you tell Belinda not to charge them?" he asked Pam as she sidled up next to him, unable to hold back a smile as his sister gently rested her head against his shoulder.

"I'd told her that long before you'd made it out of the kitchen," Pam answered with a grin, reaching out to towel up a small spill that hadn't been taken care of yet. "She was still out there about twenty minutes ago," she added, knowing full well the reason for all of the nervous energy that was rolling off of her brother. "I think I'll stay in my dorm room tonight," she said after a few moments, giving Eric a nudge with her shoulder. "Take a deep breath, before you pass out, Eric. She's _still_ here; that's a good sign."

Eric kissed the top of Pam's head before shooing her and the rest of the staff out to tackle the dining room, then quickly began to take inventory to see how bad the busyness of the day had hit his stock. "Of all the gin joints in all the world," a voice said after a few minutes of him working in silence, his breath whooshing out a little as he turned around to face the person who had snuck into his kitchen. "Isn't that my line?" he asked, a hint of a smile on his face as he tried to calm his fast-beating heart.

"Your restaurant, my city. Works either way, it seems," Sookie answered with a smile, leaning against the counter nearest the doors. She'd spent a few minutes chatting and catching up with Pam out at the table, not wanting to bother Eric while he was cleaning up. Only when Pam had called her out on it, did she realize that she'd spent more time looking at the kitchen doors than at her table companion. At Pam's insistence she'd made the journey out back, but now she was suddenly at a loss for words. "I went to Miami in July, but Sophie said you'd packed up and left. She wasn't willing to give out anything more than that," she finally said softly, remembering the day that had broken her heart almost as much as the one in March.

Eric shook his head with a small sigh, remembering the cryptic phone call he'd received from his former business partner last summer. "Pam had finally made her choice, so I sold my share of the bar back to Soph. If I'd known there was even a fraction of a chance you would come back, I would've told her to give you my information," he added with a smile, finally starting to move towards where Sookie stood. "Pam tried to look you up in the school directory once she had access, but there was no one named 'Sookie' listed."

It was Sookie's turn to shake her head, giving Eric a small smile as she moved to close the distance between them "My legal first name is Susannah, so that's what my entry in the directory is listed under," she replied with a laugh, realizing just how hard they'd inadvertently worked to keep them away from each other. "If only I'd given you my number last year…we could've avoided so much frustration."

Eric couldn't help but laugh, knowing he'd thought the same things many times over the past year. "Fate works in mysterious ways," he murmured, echoing one of the last things he'd said to her in Miami. He gently reached out and brushed a strand of hair behind Sookie's ear, a large smile coming to his face as he watched her lean into his touch. "Any chance I can get your number _this_ time?"

Sookie couldn't help the big grin that came to her face, opening her purse to get her phone as she watched Eric reach onto his pocket to retrieve his. "So, Mr. Northman," she started once she'd gotten her phone back from him, smiling widely as she saw his entry in her address book, "any chance a girl could get a ride home?"

"If by 'home', you mean to your place to get enough clothes to last you for a nice long while," Eric answered with a smirk, wrapping an arm around Sookie's waist and pulling her close. "You're crazy if you think I'm letting you get away this time, Miss Stackhouse," he murmured, then leaned down to claim her lips with his.

* * *

 _ **Epilogue – Spring Break of 2020**_

"Which one of you lovely ladies ordered a 'Screaming Orgasm'?"

Sookie sighed as she looked up at the smirking waiter, rolling her eyes a little as her table companions burst into laughter. "You're lucky you're cute, Northman," she answered with a little laugh, reaching out to take the proffered shot glass from her grinning boyfriend. "I'd say you need new material, but I'm not sure I want you testing it out on this crowd." She looked around the crowded bar, smiling when she made eye contact with Pam across the room. "Remind me again how you deciding to check in on your renters this one weekend out of the year _isn't_ spying on your sister?"

Eric shrugged as he passed out the rest of the drinks on his tray, settling down into the seat next to Sookie and leaning over to give her a quick kiss. "I could say it was because they wanted me to look at some ideas they had for renovating the kitchen, but we both know that would be a lie," he answered with a grin, taking a sip of his beer as he nodded towards the bar. "Besides, Sophie was short a couple of people and needed the help. It just so happens that Pam chose _tonight_ to come in to the bar."

Sookie shook her head with a small laugh before doing her shot, rolling her eyes a little. It was no secret that, even now with her being 21, Eric was still having a hard time coming to terms with the fact that Pam was growing up. While Sookie had stepped back and watched the younger girl flourish over the past few years, Eric had seemed to hone in even more on her and everything that she did. "Jason didn't tag along on my trip, Eric, and I got along just fine."

"Only 'cause Brigette wouldn't let me," Jason piped up from across the table, earning him a glare and a smack on the arm from his wife. "And if I recall correctly, you got up to your own brand of mischief on that trip. There ain't nothing that Pam can get up to that should surprise you," he added absentmindedly, a sheepish expression on his face as he saw the looks that both Eric and Sookie threw his way. "I think I'm gonna go grab another round of shots," he said quickly, giving Brigette a kiss before getting up to make his way towards the bar.

"I should go with him. Soph was ready to pull her hair out last time I was up there," Eric said as he grabbed his beer, leaning over to give Sookie a lingering kiss. He couldn't help but look at her for a few moments after he pulled back, a warm smile coming to his face as he saw her blush a little. "Save me a dance?"

"Always," Sookie replied with a grin, then watched Eric walk towards the bar. " _Still_ just as fine as he was four years ago," she said with a laugh as she caught her tablemates grinning at her, smiling as she settled in to sip at her glass of wine. She wasn't entirely sure why Eric had insisted on their friends joining them on the impromptu trip to Miami, but she was grateful for it. Life had certainly gotten crazy in the past three years, so getting the chance to catch up with everyone was nice.

Sookie had gone home with Eric that first night after running into him at the restaurant, the two of them picking up right where they'd left off in Miami. She'd packed enough clothes to stay with him for just a few days, not wanting to rush into anything too quickly, but had soon found herself constantly running back to her apartment just to check her mail and pack up new clothes. It only took a couple of months of the back and forth before she'd finally bit the bullet and took Eric up on his offer to officially move in with him, the two settling into cohabitation as smoothly as possible.

Sookie helped out at the restaurant a few nights a week, with her days being focused on providing counseling at her old high school in Bon Temps. It hadn't taken long for her to gain the trust of a core group of students, and she was happy to know that she'd helped a few of them avoid finding themselves in situations like hers with Bill.

But with a schedule like that she barely had time to see Jason and Brigette, never mind the rest of her friends. So when Eric had also suggested inviting Tara, Jess, and their significant others along on the trip, Sookie had jumped at the chance. The fact that everyone had had an open calendar the days of their trip confused her at first, but she knew not to look a gift horse in the mouth.

Sookie was pulled out of her thoughts as the jukebox kicked over to something with a slower rhythm than what had previously been on, her brow furrowing as familiar lyrics began to play through the speakers. "Huh. I would've thought this song would've been replaced by now," she murmured, jolting a little in her seat as she felt a tap on her shoulder.

"Can I cash in that dance?" Eric asked as he held out a hand to Sookie, his smile widening as she got to her feet and followed him to the dance floor. He pulled her close as they began to sway to the music, memories of the last time they were there flooding his mind. He hadn't known just how much his life would change when he'd asked Sookie to dance four years ago, but he wouldn't change a single moment. Well, except for the year he'd spent searching for Sookie. But when it all came down to it, he figured that year helped make what they had even stronger. "You look beautiful tonight," he whispered as they continued their circuit on the dance floor, smiling as he saw her cheeks redden a little.

"You don't look so bad yourself," Sookie murmured with a smile, tilting her head up to give Eric a kiss. While it should have been crazy how fast they'd moved in together and had merged their lives, it always felt like they'd been together forever. "Thank you for this, Eric," she whispered, gesturing to their surroundings a little. "It's nice to get away for a little bit and revisit our roots, so to speak."

Eric nodded as he continued to hold Sookie close, his heart starting to beat a little faster as he could tell the song was starting to wind down. "This definitely is a pretty special place," he murmured, taking a moment to reflect on just how much his life had changed since he'd first set foot in _Kingdom Come_ fourteen years ago. "How about we make one more memory here?" he asked softly as the music faded into silence, giving her one more kiss before pulling back and reaching into his pocket.

Sookie tilted her head in confusion as she watched Eric slowly get down on one knee, her eyes going wide as soon as she realized what was going on. "Eric," she breathed out, blinking back the tears that had already begun to form as she felt him take her left hand in his.

"Sookie," Eric started, keenly aware of the fact that all eyes were on them in that moment, "you changed my life from the first moment that I met you, and I'm pretty sure I've been in love with you since that one night. I know we didn't have the most conventional start, and that we've had our shares of ups and downs…but I've already had to go through life without you in it once; I don't think I can do that again." He paused and let go of her hand, silently willing his own shaky ones to calm down as he opened the box that he'd been carrying around for the past few days. "Sookie Stackhouse…will you marry me?"

Sookie had already started nodding before Eric had finished asking his question, dropping down to her knees to throw her arms around his neck. "Did you think I would say anything other than 'yes'?" she asked with a shaky laugh, burying her face against his neck as she felt his arms wrap around her waist. She heard the unmistakable sounds of Pam and Jason letting out whoops of happiness, a big grin on her face as she lifted her head and looked around the bar. " _This_ is why you planned this trip with everyone, isn't it? Not so that you could spy on Pam."

Eric let out a laugh of his own, giving Sookie a deep kiss before helping her to her feet. "That was just an added bonus, of course." He took the ring out of the box and slipped it onto the ring finger of Sookie's left hand, pressing a gentle kiss to it before pulling away. "Thank you for making me the happiest man alive."

Sookie grinned as their friends made their way over, watching how her ring sparkled in the lights of the bar as she threw her arms around Eric's neck once more. "You're crazy if you think I'd let you get away again," she said with a wink, echoing what he'd said to her the night of their reunion. She pulled him down into a deep kiss, causing their friends to erupt into cheers once more.

* * *

After a round of celebratory drinks had come and gone, Sookie and Eric excused themselves to go for a little stroll on the beach. They walked until they ended up at 'their' spot, settling down into the sand like they had all those years ago. Sookie smiled as she remembered how comfortable she'd felt in Eric's arms back then, just as she felt that same comfort now. She couldn't help but wonder, as she had over the years, what would've happened if she'd taken Eric up on his offer and had never gone back to Shreveport.

But, as she usually did, she shook that thought off and smiled to herself. Maybe they would've had one extra year together, or maybe they would've fizzled out just as fast as they had started. One thing was for sure, though; Fate works in mysterious ways. And while they hadn't had more than that one night together…one night was all it took to change their lives for good.

* * *

 **A/N:** **And that's that! Thank you so much for joining me on this fluffy little ride. I truly appreciate every reader, reviewer, follower, and favoriter (my spell check now hates me for that one!). I have a few other works in progress, but the timeline for getting those up and running is a little hazy. You haven't heard the last from me, though :-) Until next time!**


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